This post is brought to you by our Esthetics Experts Panel, composed of skin care professionals, educators + authorities with decades of experience in the industry.

Want clear, radiant, healthy skin? It starts with clean makeup brushes. Read on to learn why clean makeup brushes are crucial to great skin – and how to clean them easily.

why it's important to clean your makeup brushes

Simply put, dirty makeup brushes can harm your skin. Brushes that seem clean to the naked eye can actually contain dirt, debris, bacteria, oils, and dead skin cells. Daily use of dirty brushes can cause acne, skin irritation, rashes, bacterial or fungal skin infections, and eye infections. The buildup of residue on a brush can also create a rough texture, which can microscopically cut, scrape, and damage your skin.

It's also a good idea to clean brand new brushes. During production, brushes can collect dust, dirt, debris, and bacteria. So even though you've never used the brush, give it a quick cleanse.

And don't forget: clean brushes perform better in terms of makeup application. When you use a brush coated in old makeup and dirt it, can lead to uneven coverage, streaks and alter the intended color.

The longer you go without cleaning your makeup brushes, the more unwanted debris accumulates - so clean your brushes at least once a month.

the right way to clean your makeup brushes

Cleaning your makeup brushes is easy to do, but it's important to choose the correct cleanser. Anti-bacterial or fragranced soaps are too harsh, so the best makeup brush cleanser is actually a high quality facial cleanser. This is because good facial cleansers, like Bioelements cleansers, are designed to gently, but effectively get rid of oils, bacteria, dead skin cells, and more. Follow the steps below to properly clean makeup brushes.

• Place 1-2 pumps of a Bioelements cleanser in the palm of your hand. Thoroughly swirl your dampened makeup brush in a circular motion on your palm to rid the bristles of makeup, oil, and dirt.
• After the cleanser on your palm changes color from the residual grime, continue the cleansing process under lukewarm, running water. Periodically squeeze the bristles to get a deep clean that's skin friendly. Repeat the process several times if needed.
• When the water runs clear, wring out the bristles and let dry on a clean paper towel or cloth.